johns

Director: Scott Silver
Screenwriters: Scott Silver

Institute History

  • 1996 Sundance Film Festival

Description

With each passing generation, the line separating children from adults becomes hazier. The harsh realities of living on the streets has a way of crushing the innocent, creating a world where dreams often provide the only source of salvation. johns, Scott Silver’s piercing first feature, weaves a tale of tragedy and comedy along Los Angeles’s infamous Santa Monica Boulevard.

The story unfolds over the course of one day, focusing on John (David Arquette), a twenty-year-old street hustler, and Donner (Lukas Haas), his naive protégé. John’s dream is to celebrate his birthday by spending one night in the most glorious hotel in town. All he needs is three hundred dollars. Together John and Donner attempt to realize this modest aspiration. However, the events that follow lead them through a labyrinth of obstacles, where it seems everyone is out to get them, and not everything is as it appears. Stunning cinematography perfectly captures both the beauty and horror of the streets of Los Angeles. This, coupled with standout performances by Arquette and Haas, brings to life this modern fable, where young men learn the true meaning of friendship, sacrifice, and courage.

— Trevor Groth

Screening Details

As you use our Online Archives, please understand that the information presented from Festivals, Labs, and other activities is taken directly from official publications from each year. While this information is limited and doesn't necessarily represent the full list of participants (e.g. actors and crew), it is the list given to us by the main film/play/project contact at the time, based on the space restrictions of our publications. Each entry in the Online Archives is meant as a historical record of a particular film, play, or project at the time of its involvement with Sundance Institute. For this reason, we can only amend an entry if a name is misspelled, or if the entry does not correctly reflect the original publication. If you have questions or comments, please email [email protected]